John Carden

John Carden asked about the future approach to marketing and store investment, specifically if there will be a more flexible or variable nature to marketing, or if store investment will be minute, simple, or focused on keeping things fresh going forward.

Answer

CEO Jim Conroy clarified that Ross Stores has achieved strong comp growth in Q3, Q4, and the Q1 guide without making outsized or artificial investments in marketing or store labor, operating within the existing model. He indicated that while the company might experiment with slight increases in marketing or targeted store labor investments if ROI is found, these levers exist for future growth. He emphasized that the company has achieved its goals of expense-neutral improvements over the past year and is building momentum for 2026.